Softball Starts Year with Upset of #14 Kutztown; Split Pair of Games at UNCP Invitational

PEMBROKE, N.C. – Pfeiffer University began its 2010 softball with a split in a pair of games at the UNC-Pembroke Invitational on Saturday afternoon. The Lady Falcons started the year with a 4-3 upset win over #14 Kutztown University before falling 9-4 in the nightcap to West Virginia State. Pfeiffer used a walk-off double by Shelby Brown in the bottom of the seventh in a game one win while stranding 11 runners on in the game two loss.

GAME ONE: PFEIFFER 4, #14 KUTZTOWN 3

After surrendering the tying run in the top of the seventh, junior Sarah Waylock led off the home-half of the inning with a base hit to right. Heather Nobles later reached first on a fielder’s choice before scoring on Shelby Brown’s walk-off double into right-center field.

Kutztown’s Michelle McGinty squared the contest up at three earlier in the seventh on a two-out sacrifice fly after trailing 3-2 for most of the contest. Pfeiffer took a 3-0 lead in the second on an infield-single by Mariah Chalk that scored Heather Nobles.

Another infield single by Amber Johnson brought home Chalk while Bryttny Kreshka came around on the same play by a throwing error courtesy of Kutztown. Nicole Henninger put the Golden Bears on the board intially in the fourth with a two-run homer to center.

Johnson led the way offensively going 3-for-4 with an RBI. Waylock and Chalk each had a pair of hits in the win. Brown earned the win in relief in addition to the walk-off two-base hit.

GAME TWO: WEST VIRGINIA STATE 9, PFEIFFER 4

West Virginia State took a 3-0 lead into the bottom of the third before the Lady Falcons knotted the contest up with a three-spot in the bottom of the frame. Brittany Hyatt snagged an RBI-double in the first before later scoring on a wild pitch. Hyatt would again come around in the third on another Lady Falcon wild pitch.

Allison Braswell put the Lady Falcons on the board in the third with a two-run single to left scoring Nobles and Waylock. Waylock reached on a single while Nobles drew a base on balls. Braswell later scored on a West Virginia State wild pitch. In the fourth, Waylock’s run-scoring single to center plated Melanie Conklin with the game’s tying run.

In a one-run game, Hyatt came up with a pair of insurance runs in the form of a two-run blast in the sixth. West Virginia State tacked on two more in their half of the seventh. Hyatt with 3-for-3 with the HR, three RBI and four runs scored. For Pfeiffer, Waylock went 3-for-3 with an RBI and run scored.

The Lady Falcons will get back to action on Wednesday afternoon in their home opener against Catawba. Game one of two will begin at 2:00 p.m.